I am an unschooler

I am an unschooler.

I believe in my children’s ability and desire to learn. I believe that they are intelligent, capable human beings, and I believe that when the time for them to learn a certain thing arrives, that they will learn it.
I do not believe in force feeding my children a bunch of useless facts and rote learning that will be forgotten next week, next month, next year. I am confident that when my children learn a thing that it stays learned, because they chose to learn it.
I refuse to force my children to grow up before they are ready. I will not put them into situations where they are forced to compete instead of play and learn. I cannot push them to achieve and in so doing lose sight of the child in the quest for rewards.
I encourage my children to be self aware. I guide them gently and offer assistance when they request it.
I threw away the clock years ago. I do not believe that a child can learn to read only between the hours of 10 and 11, or 1 to 2. Our days are an amazing mixture of activity, ranging from a day doing nothing but drawing pictures or playing computer games to doing fifty different activities ranging from watching an ant to counting the number of stars in the sky.
Our textbooks include old catalogues, junk mail, and encyclopedias. Our on hand science materials are made up of measuring cups, magnets, all sorts of objects from the world around us. We create our learning materials and we buy them. We find them in the garden and at markets. We see the educational value in everything, because children will learn from anything that you hand them, even a Barbie doll.
Please don't try to force your curriculum on us. We don't need it.Our family has its own moral values which we share openly among ourselves, and with those who are genuinely interested. We do not want to have our souls saved, or our lifestyle condemned. If you wish to be our friend and share our journey, we welcome you, no matter what your philosophy.
All that we ask is that you allow us the space to be ourselves just as we will give that to you.My children have many friends of all ages, and from all walks of life. They are not to be pitied for their "isolation". They are people experiencing the best that life can give and enjoying it to its fullest.
They are happy, healthy, and well adjusted. They are bright, eager, and intensely interested in their world and universe. They are incredible, and are a source of amazing joy and interest to everybody who knows them.